Trolley-actuated circuit-closer



W. WALKER AND J. B. LEMLEY. .TROLLEY ACTUATED cmcun CLOSER. APPLICATIONFILEDYOCT. 14, 1920.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

WILLIAM WALKER AND JOHN 'B. nnlvrnnxor SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

TRQIJLEY-ACTUATED GIRCUIlf(JIZIOSIEIR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan 18, '192L Applicationfiled October 14, 1920. Serial No. 416,890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM I andJoHN' B. 'LEMLEY, citizens oftheUnlted States, residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcesterand State of Massachusetts,

have invented certain new and useful Im -provements in Trolley-ActuatedCircuit- Closers, of which the'it'ollow-ing is a specification.

This invention'relates to means for momentarily closing an electricclrcuit to eause V a desired result, as to set a signal, for example.While it is adapted particularly to be associated with a trolley-wirein. such manner that it will be operated by a wheel movingalong'the-wire to close a circuit of asignal system and-set a signahitalso may be mounted'to be operated by some other moving part. 7

Itis an object of the invention'to provlde a device of that character soarranged that it will operate to close and to'keep closed an electriccircuit for the period required to effect the desired result and thatautomatically willyopen the circuit after accomplishment offthe result.

7 When read in connection with the description herein, the details ofconstruction, arrangement of parts, and manner of use of the inventionwill be apparent from the ac compa'nying drawing, forming-part hereof,

wherein an adaptation of the-invention'is disclosed in assoclation wlthan electric traction system. r

While the disclosures 'herein'exemplify what, now is considered to be apreferable embodiment of the invention,it is to be understood 'thatit isnot the intention to be closer, certain'parts being broken away; v

mounted in association with a trolley-wire;

limited necessarily thereto in interpretation ofvthe claims, asmodifications and adaptations within the limits of the claims can bemade without departing fromthe nature of the invention.

1 ,Like referencecharacters refer to corresponding of wh1ch,

parts in theviews of the drawing,

1 Figure 1 is a side elevation of'the' circuit- Fig. 2 is'a plan view;F1g.3 1s a view of the circuit-closer and s Fig. 4 is a View of thetrip-arm.-

Having more particular reference to the drawing, 4 designates a basemember, which- WALKER is intended to be mounted in a substantially 7horizontal position.

Near oneend, the base member has araised portion or enlargement 5, and averticallydisposed slot or elongated opening 6 extends through theenlargement and, base'member. A pin 7 in the basemember extends substantially in horizontal position across the 7 slot, and on the pin andin the slot is rockably mounted a trip-arm 8. The lower portion'of thearm depends below the base, and it is bifurcated to afford legs 9arranged to straddle at10lley=wi're. The upper end 10 of the arm isrounded'andis disposed normally in contact with a flat spring member 11.The member 11 is secured atone end by fastenings 12 to the enlargement5, it extends over the-slot, and it'has'a rounded depressed terminalportion or shoulder 13 that isnormally outside of the upper end of thearm.

The base member 4 and an end of the enlargement 5 are formed with aseat. 14, in

' which normallyrests a rollable weight 15 of electrically conductivematerial, "the weight pfiefera-bly being a ball or of spherical s ape. I

A track of two inclined separted members of electrically=conductivematerial arranged'to be traversed by the weight extends from a placenear the seat 14 upwa'rdly to a standard 16011 the opposite end portionof the base. The track preferably is formed of two copper rods 17, thelower .ends 18 of which are turned outwardly and secured to the base byfastenings 19-, and'the upper end portions 20 of which extend throughthe standard and areconnected by conductors 21 with the circuit-to beclosed. The weight is kept fromijumping from its seat and from the trackby guard-rods 22 carried by the enlargement 5 andthe standard:16'over'andjn spaced relation with respectto the track.

'The base and-its enlargementsand the standard and'theguard-rails'should be of non-conductive material, or the track should bemounted in insulation, in order to avoid short circuits, and for thesame reason the means of mounting the device should be insulated; I

Normally the trip-arm 8 is in substantially vertical position, with itsupper end inside of the depressed shoulder 13 of the spring, and theweight 15 rests in the seat 14 againstthe end of the enla-rgementadjacent to and out of contact with .the triparm. The spring holds thearm normally out 01 contact with the weight, When the trip-arm is struckin the direction indicated by the arrow in Figs. 1 and 3, as by apassing trolley-wheel, the arm rocks, itsupper end is drivenpast theshoulder 13 of the spring, and it strikes tlie'weight and drives itupwardly on the track. i-li'fter the weight loses its momentum i therebygiven to it, it returns by gravity on the track and oii of it into itsseat, where it is out of contact with the track. During the period theweight is on the track members,'it closes theelectric circuit or" whichthose members are a part, and a signal is set or other ac- --t1onperformed for which the device'ls 1nstalled. On passage from contactwith the track, the circuit, of course, again is open,

' and the weight strikes the upper'portionvof the trip-arm and drives itbackto its normal position inside of the shoulder 18. Re-

cession otthe weight then is stopped by the end-of the enlargement 5.

One method of associating the device of this invention with anoverhead-trolleytraction system is disclosed by Fig. ,3, wherein Adesignates the trolley-supporting poles and B a rigid cross supportcarried by the poles. From such a support dependsa'stud C havingclencli-ears D' engagmgand-supporting the trolley-wire E, which IS theelectric supply conductor, and along which wheel F. r

The device may be mounted by disposing the stud C through one endportion of the base member 4 and b dis osin asimilar y p e stud Cthrough the other end portion thereof. The device is placed so that thetrack for the weight 15 is inclined downwardly in the direction thetrolley-wheel is moving =when'it is desired to operate, the device.

dire'ction onto its track and thereby closed.

T hus,- when that wheel strikes the trip-arm, the weight will be drivenin the opposite 1 Of course, on a double-track'road, where the'traflicon one track normally is in the 1 same direction, the circuit-closerswill be placed" to-;be operated by movement of the trolley-wheels movingin that direction. 7 On a single-track road, wheretrafiic is iii bothdirections, the circuit-closers will be place and. disposed at variousplaces in accordancewith the direction of movement ofthe trolley-wheelsit is desired to havethe circuits closed; 'When the trip-arm of acircuit-closenset for operation by a trolleywheel moving in onedirection is struck'by a wheel moving in the opposite direction, theupper portion of the arm, of course, will be moved away from the weightand the circult will not be closed.

travels the contact member on trolleythe circuit Having, thus describedour invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secure f by Letters Patent, is'- "1;A circuit-closer comprising inclined connected with an electric circuit,an elec-' trically-conductive weight normally out of contact Wltll andarranged to traverse said "rails, and a rockable armj arranged :to drivesaid weight onto said track, the arrangement being such that said weightthereafter. will return by -gravity to normal position ofl said rails. r

electrically-conductive rails arranged to be connected with anelect-riccircuit, an elec-- trically conductive weight normally out of contactwith and arranged to traverse-said rails, a rockable' arm arranged todrive said 'weight onto said track, and a spring normally holding saidarm out of contact with said weight, the arrangement being such thatsaid"w'eight will return byfgravity'to normal position oii" said rails,strike said arm, and'return it'to' normal position 4 Al circuitcloser 7comprising inclined electrically-conductive rails arranged to beconnected with an-electric circuit, an'electri'cally-conductive weightnormally out of contact with and arranged tof'traver'se said rails, aguard" member retaining said weight in place, and means for drivingsaidweight onto said rails, the arrangement being such that said weightthereafter will-return by gravity to normal position off said rails.

5. circuit-closer comprising a'base hava" seat, 'electricalIy-conductiverails inclined upwardly from saidseatn an electrically-conductive weightnormally fin said seat out of contact with and arrangedto traverse saidrails, and meansffor driving said weight onto said rails, thearrangement being such that said weight will return by gravity from saidrails into said seat;

6; A circuit-closer comprising a basehaving a seat, e1ectricallyconductive'railsinclined upwvardly from said seat, anelectricallyconductive weight normally Sin said seat out of contact withand' arranged to traverse said rails, and a rockable arm in saidbasearranged to be'struck'by-a moving objectand to drive said weightonto said rails. the'arrangement being such thati'said weight willreturn by gravity fromsa'id'rails into said seat. i i

7. A-circ-uit-closer comprising a base havcircuit-closer comprisinginclined" ing a seat, electrically-conductive rails in; clinedupwardlyfrom said seat, an electrically-conductive weight normally 7 insaid seat out of contact with and arranged to traverse said rails, arockable arm on said base arranged to be struck by a moving object andto drive said weight onto said rails, and a spring normally holding saidarm out of contact with said weight, the arrangement being such thatsaid weight will return by gravity from'said railsinto said seat.

8. In a traction system including an electric-supply conductorand acontact member movable thereon, the combination, with a signal circuit,of a circuit-closertherefor comprising inclined electrically conductiverails connected with said circuit, an electrically-conductive weightnormally out of contact with and arranged to traverse said rails, and arockable arm positioned to be struck by said contact member and to drivesaid weight onto said rails, the arrangeinent being suchthat said weightwill return by gravity fromsaid rails to normal position.

9. In a traction system including an electric-supply conductor, a studsupporting saidconductor, and a contact member movable -on saidconductor, the combination, with a signal circuit, of a circuit-closertherefor comprising a base supported by said stud, inclinedelectrically-conductive rails on said base connectedwith said circuit,an electrically-conductive weight nor mally out of contact with andarranged to traverse said rails, and a rockable arm dependingfrom saidbase adjacent to said conductor arranged to be struck by said contactmember and to drive said weight onto said rails, the arrangement beingsuch that said weight will return by gravity from said rails to normalposition.

In witness whereof, we afiix our signatures.

WILLIAM WALKER. JOHN B. LEMLEY.

